Wind deflector



June 25, 1929. H. D. GEYER WIND \DEFLECTOR Filed Sept. 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jurie 25, 1929.

I H. D. GEYER wmb DEFLECTOR Filed Sept. 5, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .2 -1 :w!!:------ 1 l--- -iiil- Hll h n HUN u H. D. GEYER WIND DEFLECTOR Julie 25, 1929.

Filed Sept. 5, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STAT PATENT 'OQFFICE.

HARVEY D. G-EYER, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO D.AYTQN-WBIGHT COMPANY, F

.DAYTON, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

. ,WIND DEFLECTOR.

This invention relates to vehicle bodies and especially to the open type automobile body.

An object of this; invention is to provide a simple and efficient side windshield, or

6 wind'deflector as commonly called.

Another object is to provide a side windshield which is retractable into a well in the body door.

Another and more specific object is to pro- 10 vide such a side shield which fits snugly up against the front-pillar or windshield standard when the doorv is in closed position, and yet is swingable with the door to permit easy passage of passengers into or out of the body."

15 Ordinarily the pivot axis of the door hinges cannot conveniently be made parallel and substantially in line with the edge of the front pillar with which the side shield abuts. Hence where the side shield is rigidly at- 20 tached to'the door and swings therewith, when the door is opened there will be a considerable reIative motion between the front edge of the side shield and the front pillar, which relative motion will not permit of any simple hinge 25 means between the side shield and pillar. I Another object of this invention is to provide a side shield which may move away from the front pillar when the door is opened but which will be pressed snugly up against said 30 pillar when the door is closed.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,- wherein pre preferred forms of embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a touring car equipped 'with this invention; Thev dotted lines illustrate the side shield in retracted position and the toggle levers for forcing the side shield either up or down according to its position relative to a dead center.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1 on a greatly enlarged scale and shows a thumb screw on the inside of the door for rigidly clamping the side shield in its raised position.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1 and shows the rabbet on the front pillar against which the side shield abuts when the door is in closed position. 1

Fig. 4 is a sectionon line 44 of Fig. 1 and shows the guide and anti-rattler for the shield at the lower end of the wall,

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of balancing spring and lever arrangement.

Fig. 6 is a sectiolf on line6 6 of Fig. 5 and shows the shield in raised osition.

- Fig. 7 is a section on line -7 of Fig. 5..

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews. Nuineral 10 designates the front door of the automobile body 11 and is hinged thereto by hinges 12. The front pillar 13 serves as the windshield standard for the front windshield 15 and supports the top 14 in the ordinary manner. In the design of body illustrated in the drawings the pillar 13 is inclined rearwardly but of course this invention is also applicable to, bodies having a substantially vertical front pillar.

The door 10 is provided with a well 16 which can conveniently accommodate the side shield 20 when in its retracted position. This side shield 20 is pivoted to the forward top corner of the door 10 at the pivot hinge 21 as shown in Fig. 1. The glass shield 20 is provided with a metal strip 22 on its lower edge when in raised position and to this metal strip 22 the rotatable part of hinge 21 is suitably attached. I

The forward edge of shield 20 is provided with a metal strip 23 which abuts the front pillar 13 within the rabbeted space 24 provided therefor (see Fig. '3). Suitable rubber bumpers 25 and 26 may be provided on the two surfaces of the rabbet 24, against which bumpers the shield 20 is forced by suitable mechanism described herebelow.

' The lever 30 is pivoted to the shield 20 at pivot point 32,-the lever 31 is pivoted to the door 10 at pivot point 33, and the two levers 30 and 31 are pivoted together at point 34. A tension spring of suitable strength is attached at the point 34 and is anchored to the door 10 at-its opposite end at point 36. It will be clear from viewing Fig. 1 that the tension' of spring 35 tends to straighten out thetoggle levers 30 and 31 when the shield 20 is in its raised position and thus forces the shield 20 upward with a relatively large force. When'however, the shield 20 is'lowered pivot point 32. moves along the are shown toward point 32, and pivot 34 moves along an are about point 33 as a center, as will bereadily understood from Fig. 1. When pivot, 32

exert no force to either raise or lower the shield 20. When however pivot 32 passes this dead center the spring '35 will then exert a force to pull pivot 32 to the position 32, the levers and 31 then taking the positlon 30 and 31'. By this means it is seen that the side shield 20 is urged to its fully raised posit on when pivot 32 is above the dead center polnt, and is urged to its fully lowered position when pivot 32 is below the dead center point.

The degree of force; to which it is urged to either of these positions may be suitably adjusted by varying the angularity of the levers 30 and 31. Preferably the angularity of these levers is so arranged that pivot 32 passes its dead center point when the shield 20 is near its fully lowered position. Thus the spring 35 will act as a counterbalance to the weight of the shield 20 throughout nearly the entire movement of the shield.

A suitable guide for the shield 20 is preferably provided within the well 16. The shield 20 fits snugly within this guide 40 when in its fully down position and thus is held sub stantially rigidly in place and so prevented from rattling. The top slot of the well 16 is preferably closed up when the shield 20 is fully retracted by suitable flanges 27 on the metal strip 23, as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This flanged strip 27 also abuts the rubber bumpers 25 and 26 within the rabbet 24 in pillar 13 when the shield 20 is in raised position (see Fig. 3).

I Suitable means are provided to rigidly clamp the shield 20 in its fully raised position. The means for this-purpose illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises a thumb screw rotatably mounted in the sleeve 51 on the inside of the door 10. The threaded end of screw 50 engages the clamping nut 52 which is held from rotation by the guide lug 53 which rides in a slot (not shown) in the nut 52. It will be obvious that asthe screw 50 is turned the clamping nut 52 will move in against the shield 20 or move away therefrom dependent on the direction of rotation of screw 50. Preferably the nut 52 mutually engages a projection on or part of the metal strip 22 and holds it firmly against a suitable rubber bumper 54. Thus the shield 20 will be rigidly clamped to the door 10 when in its fully raised position, and can be opened and closed with the door. As pointed out above, when the door 10 is opened the metal strip 23 will move away from the rabbet 24 due to the non-alignment of this rabbet with the axis of the hinges 12. Of course, if desired, the axis of hinges 12 could be inclined and set substantially in line with the rabbet 24, in which modification the strip 23 would preferably have a rounding forward edge and pivot within the rabbeted space in the front pillar 13.

A suitable handle may be provided, -,if desired, for more conveniently raising and lowering the side shield 20. This handle preferably would be attached to the side of strip 23 and extend laterally within the car body. A suitable recess in the wall of well 16 would be provided for the reception of the handle when the shield is in fully retracted position.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the side shield is pivoted at 61 in the hinge 62 and firmly guided by said hinge to swing 1n a plane without material side play. The levers 63 and 64 and the tension spring 65 are arranged to substantially balance'the weight of the shield throughout its movement to render its operation extremely easy. The lever 64 is preferably provided with the two guides 66 between which the shield 60 rests when in its fully retracted position, the lower corner being thereby held firmly in position and pre-v vented from rattling.

A short relatively strong compression spring 7 0 is attached to the door frame member and so positioned that it will be compressed by the last few inches of movement of the shield 60 when retracted. The shield must therefore be held down in its fully retracted position, and this is accomplished by a hand screw 75 mounted upon the door and adaptedupon rotation to move in and engage the lug 74 on the metal strip 76 and thus hold the shleld rigidly in position. When it is desired to raise the shield, the hand screw 75 is turned to disengage the lug 74 whereupon the strong spring 70 will raise the shield an inch or two. The shield may then be easily' grasped with the hand and raisedto its fully raised position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The hand screw 75 is then turned to move in and engage the lug 77 secured to the lower edge of the shield and thus rigidly clamp the shield to the door in fully raised position. 7

While the forms of embodimentof the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In an automobile body, in combination, a body door having a well therein, a retractable enclosure panel hinged upon said door and swingable' about the hinge to a position above said door or into a well within said door, two spring pressed levers pivoted tosite side of dead center.. 2. In an opentype automobile body havmg a rearwardly inclined front pillar, a body door hinged at its forward edge about a substantially vertical hinge axis, a rigid side wind deflector retractably mounted on said door and swingable therewith when in fully raised position about the door hinges, a rabbet extending along the rear outer corner of said front pillar and so positioned as to receive in pressure contact relation the forward edge of said deflector when the door is swung to its closed position, a resilient buffer fixed within said rabbet so as to receive said pressure contact of the abutting forward edge of said deflector, a well withinsaid door, and

means for retracting said deflector into said well when its use is not desired. I

3. In an automobile body, a body'doo hinged at its forward edge about a substantially vertical hinge axis, a rearwardly'inclined front windshield standard having a v-rabbet extending along its rear outside corner, said standard being so positioned relative to said door that the lower end of said rabbet is rearward of said door hinge axis but closely adjacent the forward upper corner of said door, a rigid side shield retractably -mounted on said door and pivoted thereto closely adjacent the lower end of said rabbet, a well in said door into which said side shield may be retracted by being swung about said pivot, and means for fixing said side shield in its fully raised position to said door so that when said door is swung closed the forward edge of said side shield will enter said rabbet and be pressed into tight contact with said standard whereby said side shield, is supported along its forward edge against vibration or rattllng.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

HARVEY D. GEYER. 

